Oil-can.



D. T. WOMELDORF.

OIL CAN.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 27, 1912.

1,100,337, Patented June 16,1914.

cow-IA ILANOGIAPH (L-Wm I C- UNITED STATLlg PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL T. WOMELDORF, OF LEXINGTON, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO GILBERT A. RHODES, OF LEXINGTON, VIRGINIA.

OIL- CAN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 16, 1914.

Application filed July 27, 1912. Serial No. 711,867.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DANIEL T. WOMEL- noar, citizen of the United States, residing at Lexington, in the county of Rockbridge and State of Virginia, have invented certam new and useful Improvements in Oil-Cans, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in oil cans of that type in which pressure is to be exerted against the flexible bottom of the can for the purpose of ejecting the oil. The bottoms of such cans are formed relatively thin and are normally downwardly bulged, and when it is desired to eject oil from the can, pressure is exerted against the center of the serve to flex the same upwardly or inwardly. After a can so constructed has been in use for a considerable length of time the bottom will lose its resiliency or, if considerable pressure is at any time exerted against the bottom it will be bulged inwardly to such degree that it will not resume its original or normal position.

The present invention aims to provide, in an oil can of the type above mentioned, means arranged to yieldably bear against the inner or upper side of the bottom of the can for the purpose of insuring of the return of the bottom to normal position after having been pressed inwardly and released.

I am well aware of the fact that it has been heretofore proposed to provide, for the purpose stated, a leaf-spring arranged within the can to bear at its intermediate portion against the upper side of the said bottom, but so far as I am aware, no practical means has up to the present time been provided for holding such a spring in place so that it will not slip about or wear the can.

The present invention therefore contemplates mounting such a spring m such manner that it will be held against sllpping upon the bottom of the can or riding against the walls of the can.

The invention also contemplates so constructing the supports for the spring that they will not be liable to be torn loose from the wall of the can when the spring is flexed. v

For a full understanding of'the invention reference is to be had to the following de scription and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a view partly in elevation and bottom which will partly in section of the can embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the bottom of the can flexed inwardly. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view through the can.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompany ing drawing by the same reference characters.

In the drawing, the body of the can is indicated by the numeral 1 and is provided at its upper end with the usual filling opening 2 in which is fitted the neck 3 of the usual spout The bottom of the can is indicated by the numeral 5 and this bottom, as will be noted from inspection of Fig. 1 of the drawing is bulged downwardly or outwardly and is designed to be pressed inwardly to about the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing when oil is to be discharged from the can. It will be observed from inspection of Fig. 2 that when the bottom 5 is pressed inwardly, it will be inwardly bulged, and without the provision of the spring or some other means for returning it to its normal position it will in time become so weakened as to remain in this position, whereupon the can will be rendered practically useless.

The spring which is employed for the purpose above stated, is indicated by the numeral 6 and is of sutlicient strength to insure the bottom 5 being outwardly bulged after it has been flexed inwardly and relieved of pressure. The intermediate por tion of this leaf-spring 6 is disposed against the upper face of the bottom 5, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, and its ends are engaged in suitable seats provided at opposite sides of the body 1. Each of these seats is formed from a strip of sheet metal 7 which has its ends cut at an angle and bent to project downwardly at right angles from the portion 7 as indicated by the numeral 8. The rear edge of the strip and its said portions 8 are secured by solder as at 9 to the wall of the body 1. The said portions 8 project downwardly and the said strips 7 project inwardly from the said wall of the body and lie substantially in a horizontal lane. The ends of the spring 6 are inserted beneath the portions7 of the seats and are confined also between the down-bent ends 8. The engagement of the ends of the spring between the portions 8 of the seats serve, as Will be readily understood, to hold the spring against lateral displacement and against slipping about upon the bottom of the can. By referring to Fig. 1 it will be noted that the end-edges of the spring bear against the under sides of the portions 7 of the seats solely at the attached outer edges thereof and that the spring does not have bearing against the free edge portions of the seats. As a consequence, the pressure of the ends of the spring against the seats is not such as would tend to tear the seats loose from the wall of the body. By referring to Fig. 2 of the drawing, it will be noted that the seats are located a sufflcient distance above the plan of th bottom of the can to insure of the spring 6 remaining in downwardly bowed condition even though the bottom be pressed inwardly quite a distance so that a return of the bottom to the position shown in Fig. 1 Will be at all times insured.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is In an oil can, a body, a bottom closing the lower end of the body and normally downwardly flexed and adapted to be flexed upwardly against its resiliency, the said bottom being formed adjacent its edge with an upstanding bead, the wall of the body being provided at diametrically opposite points with seats located in spaced relation to the said bottom, and a spring disposed at its ends in said seats and normally downwardly flexed and adapted to resist the upward flexing of the said bottom, the extremities of the spring engaging in the said seats and the spring adjacent its extremities resting normally upon the said bead.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DANIEL 'l. WOMELDORF.

Witnesses GILBERT A. RHODES, PAUL M. PENICK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. C. 

